Showing 97 of 97 words, page 1 of 1
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abi gezunt
"As long as you're healthy [you can be happy]."
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aroisgevorfene gelt
"a waste of money"; lit., thrown out money.
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balaboosta
1) Female head of household 2) Impressively competent homemaker
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berya
"Complimentary term for a talented, competent, energetic woman, especially one who gets a lot done - and does it well - around the house." (JPS Dictionary of Words)
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bisl
"a little bit of something, a tiny piece" (JPS)
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biz hundert un tsvantsik
[may you/he/she live] "until a hundred and twenty [years]" -- often used as a birthday wish for long life, or when mentioning a person who is getting on in years.
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Borscht Belt
region in the Catskill Mountains with many summer resorts frequented by Jews, especially in the mid twentieth century
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boychick
"A young boy...equivalent of the American expression 'buddy'" (JPS)
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boydem
attic
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broch
curse
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bubbale
sweetie, darling [term of endearment]
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bubbe meise
"Something of little importance, an inconsequential thing or minor happening." (JPS)
"old wive's tale"; an untrue story, sometimes related to superstition
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bulvan
loud mouth know-it-all; "a boorish, brutish person" (Steinmetz)
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chazir
1. pork 2. a pig, greedy person (JPS)
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chrein
horseradish
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chutzpahdik
impertinent
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einikel
grandchild
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ess
Eat
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farbrente
fiery, devout, fervent [lit. 'burning']
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farmisht
mixed up, confused, crazy
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feh!
an expression of disgust; "portraying...negative feelings" (Rosten)
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fress
To gobble up food; to gorge oneself. "To eat quickly or noisily, like an animal" (JPS)
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gantseh
entire, complete
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geferlech
Dangerous, terrible
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genug
enough
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geschrei
yell, shout
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geshmak
delicious, delightful
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gevald
an interjection of alarm
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gey avek
"Go away!"
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golem
"A creature of Jewish medieval folklore, a golem is a figure made into the form of a human and given life." (JPS)
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gonif
thief
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gorgel
neck, throat (generally of poultry)
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gurnisht
"nothing, zilch, zero" (JPS)
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Hak mir nisht keyn tshaynik
Literally, don't knock a teakettle at me
Stop annoying me
Don't bother me
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handl
to bargain, do business
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hock
"to bother incessantly: ANNOY" (Weiser)
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kasha
buckwheat groats, commonly served with bowtie noodles ('kasha varnishkes'); porridge
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keinehora
"no evil eye" (Rosten). "An expression said to ward off the evil eye or bad luck in general; the verbal equivalent of knocking on wood." (JPS)
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khnyok
a mean or bigoted person
a sanctimonious, holier-than-thou religious person
an unkempt or slovenly person
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kinder
"children" (Rosten)
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kishka
"Stuffed derma: a sausagelike comestible of meat, flour, and spices stuffed into intestine casing and baked" (Rosten) Also, "guts," literally, Slavic. (Wikipedia)
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kochleffel
A cooking spoon, as for soup. By extension, a person who stirs up trouble; meddler, busybody.
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kuntz
peculiarity, particular oddness (JPS)
strategy (Weiser)
feat, stunt, trick, challenge, ingenuity
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kvell
feel or express pride, "to be extraordinarily pleased" (JPS)
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kvetch
"to chronically complain or gripe to others over minor issues" (JPS)
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ligner
liar
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linker
leftist, socialist, secularist
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madrega
level, especially spiritual level
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maidel
girl
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mame-loshn
"mother tongue", usually refers to Yiddish
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mamzer
bastard [see note]; "A detestable [person] like the colloquial English "He's a bastard"" (Rosten)
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mayofes
a servile person (see note below)
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mazume
"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)
"A group of three or more adult males who join together to recite the after-meal blessings..." (Steinmetz).
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mechuten
In laws, more generally (http://www.pass.to/glossary/gloz2.htm#letm).
the father of one's child's spouse, though can sometimes be used to refer to the grandfather of one's grandchild's spouse.
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mechuteneste
the mother of one's child's spouse
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naches
"Proud pleasure, special joy--particularly from the achievements of a child... 2. Psychological reward or gratification." (Rosten)
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nebach
interjection, adverb: "unfortunately"; noun: an unfortunate person
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nebbish
noun: nerdy, clumsy, awkward person. "An innocuous, ineffectual, weak, helpless, or hapless unfortunate" (Rosten)
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noch
still, yet, moreover
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ongepotchket
overly elaborate, excessively decorated, slapped together senselessly, overdone, tacky, ostentatious, overcomplicated.
"Excessively and unaesthetically decorated; overly baroque." (Rosten)
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oy vey iz mir
woe is me
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oysgeputst
dressed-up, decked out in finery (Steinmetz), overembellished.
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pekel
little bundle
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pisk
(vulgar) snout, grimace (Steinmetz)
Colloquialism: an eloquent or garrulous speaker. (Rosten)
mouth, loud-mouth, similar to English slang "trap" for mouth.
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prost
coarse, base, not classy, vulgar, common
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pupik
Navel, belly button
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pushke
"The little container...in which money to be donated to charity is accumulated." (Rosten)
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schlemiel
idiot; contemptible person. "Clumsy, bungling person." (Steinmetz)
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schlimazel
Unlucky person; the constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings
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schmegege
"silly or stupid person; simpleton; nitwit" (Steinmetz)
"An unadmirable, petty person" (Rosten)
"An untalented loser; a whiner; a petty person" (JPS).
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schnorrer
a begger, a parasite. "A moocher" (JPS)
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shicker
tipsy/drunk
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shlump
an unkempt person, a loser
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shpatzir
literally 'to walk, take a stroll'; figuratively 'to delay, tarry, procrastinate'
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shpilkes
nervous energy, anxiousness, restlessness. Lit. 'pins'
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tate
dad
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tsedreyt
mixed up, twisted, distorted, turned around
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tsu gezunt
a response after another person sneezes (analogous to "bless you")
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tumler
"A funmaker, a 'live wire,' a clown, a prankster, the 'life of the party." (Rosten)
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yold
fool, dupe
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zaftig
pleasantly plump, buxom, lit. "juicy"
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zei gezunt
be healthy, be well; farewell!
(humorous) a recommendation for greater sophistication or awareness: "get real"
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zets
"A strong blow or punch" (Rosten)
"punch; bump; slam" (Steinmetz)
"A punch, a strong blow; a setback" (JPS)
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